Meet the Team — 28 July '10

An opportunity for Members to meet our America's Cup team over drinks in the Clubhouse

Our Club will be running a series of Match races for America's Cup Class yachts between our own TEAMORIGIN and the current America’s Cup holders BMW ORACLE RACING during and as part of Cowes Week 2010. PRO for the event will be America's Cup Principal Race Officer Harold Bennett who will lead a team headed by our own Honorary Chief Race Officer Gillian Smith and drawn entirely from our regular race management group. The course will be set by Chief Sailing Officer Malcolm McKeag in Thames Five.

Members will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the boats and the racing as spectators in their own yachts, as VIP guests aboard Stanley Ross's elegant Ramparts 48 Highland Beauty or by volunteering themselves and suitable RIBs as spectator marshals.

The two hottest match racing skippers in the world, TEAMORIGIN’s Ben Ainslie, and BMW ORACLE Racing’s James Spithill, will lead their respective teams in a regatta for two of our major trophies: the Trafalgar Cup and the Royal Thames Cup. This latter is a new Cup due to be presented to us by Garrards on July 28th. It is a stunningly executed one-third-scale contemporary replica of the original 1851 Hundred Guineas Cup, the trophy that the schooner America won in 1852 and that in 1857 was renamed America's Cup. There will be an evening reception for Members to see the new Cup and to meet the team and wish them well before the event.

 Collectively the event is called the 1851 Cup and will see the pair match race nine times over three days (3rd, 4th & 6th August) on windward/leeward courses for the Royal Thames Trafalgar Cup, and then once clockwise around the Isle of Wight for the new Royal Thames Cup. The match racing will take place off West Cowes as close as possible to shore-based spectators late in the afternoon once the Cowes Week fleets have cleared the Central Solent.

The Round the Island Race (5th August) will take place on the historic coastal waters of the Solent and Isle of Wight upon which that famous race won by the New York Yacht Club’s America gave rise to the America’s Cup, often claimed to be the oldest trophy in international sport. The iconic America’s Cup is currently held by San Francisco’s Golden Gate Yacht Club, represented by Spithill’s team, and will be on public display during the regatta at the 1851 Marquee on Cowes Parade, adjacent to the Royal Yacht Squadron.

For more information or to register your interest please contact Jamie Houston in the RTYC Secretariat comms@royalthames.com

"This will be an incredible event which I am sure will capture the imagination of sports fans across the UK," commented Ben Ainslie, TEAMORIGIN Skipper, Helmsman & RTYC Member. "We relish the idea of taking on the Defenders in our home waters. We have a busy season in 2010 and The 1851 Cup is one that we are all particularly looking forward to.”

Meet the Team & see the Cup - 28th July

The Royal Thames and TEAMORIGIN will be hosting a Cocktail reception on the 28th July for Members and guests to meet members of the team and see the new "Royal Thames Cup" between 6.30pm and 8.30pm at the Clubhouse on the 28th July.

The newly presented Royal Thames Cup will be on display along with our Trafalgar Cup,both of which will be presented to the winners of the 1851 Cup during Cowes Week.

Tickets are £10 

Dress: Lounge suits or Reefers and booking is essential as numbers are limited. To book please email Jamie Houston comms@royalthames.com

Exclusive on-water opportunities for RTYC Members

There are a number of ways that RTYC Members can get involved in the event from "hands-on" to relaxed viewing on board either their own yacht or Stanley Ross's gorgous Highland Beauty which will be acting as the RTYC's VIP boat.

Course Marshals: if you have a rib over five meters and would like to get closer to the action why not become an event Marshal. the role of the marshal is to ensure that the race area is kept clear of the over enthusiastic spectator so that neiter race boat or spectator craft are at risk of collision. The Marshal boats will be allowed closer to the racing than any other vessel (other than the umires and chase boats that is!) and this is a unique opportunity to be part of the on-water mamagement team for the event. if you would like to be involved as a Marshal please contact Jamie Houston comms@royalthames.com 

Special Viewing positions: Members who wish to view the racing from the comfort of thier yacht can do so in the  VIP areas and can apply for a daily VIP flag these are limited in number and come with some restrictions but offer great viewing of the racing , especially the start areas.  Yachts will need to fly both their Burgee corectly from the mast head and their Blue Ensign, along with the Cumberland Penent. to apply for a VIP flag please contact Jamie Houston comms@royalthames.com

Highland Beauty: Stanley has kindly made Highland Beauty available as the RTYC's VIP boat. it is planned that your day will start at around 0930 at the 1851 Cup pavillion on the parade, you will be taken over to the race boats and be given a dockside tour of the boats, and then returned to the parade where you will be able to join other TEAMORIGIN and BOR guests as they hear firstly all about hte defenders plans and then TEAMORIGIN's Quest fro the Cup, a buffet lunch follows. You will then transfer once again to Highland Beauty to watch the racing in comfort with refreshments, before returning after raing to the pavilion for a champagne reception and the daily prizegiving. Places are limited to 8 guests a day and cost £75 per person per day.

To find out more about any of the above of to book please contact Jamie Houston comms@royalthames.com